McAdoo v. LaneMcAdoo v. Lane
MEMORANDUM OPINION
PRENTICE H. MARSHALL, District Judge.
In this case, plaintiff seeks relief for a deprivation of his constitutional rights under
Defendants’ first argument is thаt the eleventh amendment bars this action.1 Defendants rely principally on Edelman v. Jordan, 415 U.S. 651, 94 S.Ct. 1347, 39 L.Ed.2d 662 (1974), where the Court held that an action seeking to have the director of the Illinois Department of Public Aid pay welfare recipients funds that had been wrongfully withheld from them was barred by the eleventh amendment. Although the suit was brought not against the state, but the director, the Court nevertheless held that the amendment applied because in substance the suit challenged the actions of the state and the judgment would be paid by the state. “[A] suit by private parties seeking to impose a liability which must be paid from public funds in the state treasury is barred by the Eleventh Amendment.” Id. at 663, 94 S.Ct. at 1356.
Defendants argue that Edelman governs this case since the state must pay a judgment аgainst them under Illinois law, which provides that a state employee will be indemnified by the state for any judgment against him or her unless the employee engaged in intentional, willful or wanton conduct not intended to serve the best interests of the state,
Fairly read, the complaints allege that each of the named defendants ... acted either outside the scope of his respective office or, if within the scope, acted in an arbitrary manner, grossly abusing the lawful powers of office.
Id. at 235, 94 S.Ct. at 1686. The Court thеn held that given these allegations, “we see that petitioners allege facts that demonstrate that they are seeking to impose individual and personal liability on the named defendants for what they claim ... was a deprivation of federal rights ....” Id. at 238, 94 S.Ct. at 1687 (emphasis in original). As a result, the Court held that the action was not barred by the eleventh amеndment. See id.
Following Scheuer, a long line of cases has held that where it is alleged that defendants deprived the plaintiff of federal rights while acting beyond their authority or while abusing their authority, the eleventh amendment permits an action to be maintained against individual state officers.4 In such cases, the action seeks to hold the officials рersonally liable; no judgment is sought against the state.5 This
[T]he Eleventh Amendment does not bar an action against a state official that is based on a theory that the officer acted beyond the scope of his statutory authority оr, if within that authority, that such authority is unconstitutional. In such an action, however, the Amendment places a limit on the relief that may be obtained by the plaintiff. If the action is allowed to proceed against the officer only because he acted without proper authority, the judgment may not compel the State tо use its funds to compensate the plaintiff for the injury.
Florida Department of State v. Treasure Salvors, Inc., ___ U.S. ___, 102 S.Ct. 3304, 3317, 73 L.Ed.2d 1057 (1982) (opinion of Stevens, J.).6 See also Cory v. White, 457 U.S. 85, 102 S.Ct. 2325, 2329, 72 L.Ed.2d 694 (1982); Ford Motor Co. v. Department of Treasury, 323 U.S. 459, 462, 65 S.Ct. 347, 349-50, 89 L.Ed. 389 (1945).7
Fairly read, the instant complaint alleges a course of harassment either outside the lawful scope of defendants’ authority or that resulted from a gross abuse of their authority, and which deprived plaintiff of a federal right. This falls squarely under Scheuer. Plaintiff seeks to hold defendants liаble for their personal conduct only; no judgment is sought against the state.
The Illinois indemnity statute does not alter this conclusion. The statute represents a voluntary decision by Illinois to indemnify defendants. If plaintiffs obtain a judgment against defendants, under the eleventh amendment that judgment will bind defendants only. The eleventh amendment requires оnly that nothing in this court‘s judgment compel the state to pay the judgment. If defendants seek to compel the state to indemnify them, they will have to file a separate action in state court; nothing in our judgment would bind the state. Since the indemnity statute is enforceable against the state if at all in state court, and since our judgment will in nо way compel the state to indemnify plaintiffs, this action is not against the state within the meaning of the eleventh amendment; it is brought only against named individuals and hence is not barred by the amendment. Every court to consider the effect of such indemnity statutes under the eleventh amendment has reached the same conclusion. See Ronwin v. Shapiro, 657 F.2d 1071, 1074-75 (9th Cir.1981); Downing v. Williams, 624 F.2d 612, 626 (5th Cir.1980), vacated on other grounds, 645 F.2d 1226 (1981); Huecker v. Milburn, 538 F.2d 1241, 1244-45 & n. 8 (6th Cir.1976) (dictum); Palmer v. Penn-Ohio Road Materials, Inc., 470 F.Supp. 1199, 1202-03 (E.D.Pa.1979); Broome v. Percy, 470 F.Supp. 633, 635-36 (E.D.Wis.1979); Ware v. Percy, 468 F.Supp. 1266, 1268 (E.D.Wis.1979).8 But see generally
Defendants’ second argument is that this action is precluded by the decision of the Illinois Department of Human Rights dismissing a complaint plaintiff filed regarding the misconduct alleged here. Defendants contend that the department decided the same issue presented here against plaintiff, and that its decision precludes plaintiff‘s attempt to relitigate this question here.
Under
“Unlawful discrimination” means discrimination against a person because of his or her race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, handicap or unfavorable discharge from military service ....
Defendants claim they never “deprived” plaintiff of anything within the meaning of
Defendants also claim that plaintiff has not asserted a constitutionally protected property interest. Constitutionally protected property is present where plaintiff asserts a legitimate claim of entitlement not to lose a valuable governmental benefit except for cause.13 Plaintiff contends, and defendants have not yet specifically denied the allegation, that plaintiff had a right under state law not to be fired absent cause. The provisions of the Illinois Personnel Code tend to bear this out. See Parkhill v. Civil Service Commission, 58 Ill. App.3d 291, 292, 15 Ill.Dec. 819, 820, 374 N.E.2d 254, 255 (1978); Norris v. Commission on Human Relations, 26 Ill.App.3d 528, 539-40, 325 N.E.2d 818, 826 (1975);
Finally, defendants contend that plaintiff was not denied due process of law since he could have challenged defendаnts’ conduct and hence received a hearing under the Illinois Personnel Code,
In any event, Parratt v. Taylor, 451 U.S. 527, 101 S.Ct. 1908, 68 L.Ed.2d 420 (1981), on which defendants rely, does not bar plaintiff‘s claim.16 Defendants contend only that plaintiff could have received a post-deprivation hearing under state law. See Memorandum in Support of Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss at 5-7.17 However, Parratt‘s holding that due process may be satisfied by a post-deprivation hearing is applicable only where it would have been impracticable for the state to have provided any predeprivation process. See Vail v. Board of Education, 706 F.2d 1435, 1440 (7th Cir.1983); Begg v. Moffitt, 555 F.Supp. 1344 (N.D.Ill.1983). Defendants have not yet attempted to show that it would have been imрracticable to accord plaintiff any predeprivation process. Hence, the claimed availability of a post-deprivation hearing is not sufficient to satisfy due process. Plaintiff has stated a claim under the due process clause.
Defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint is denied. Prior trial schedule to stand. Defendants are ordered to answer the complaint within 14 days.